Hydroplaning in a truck, how do you deal with it?

We are fixing to possibly frost in a few weeks, I usually get a fresh set of virgin tires for the tractor on all 10 wheels about this time of the year. Every year. FFE was very gracious in slapping them on without complaint. I owe our lucky icey trips to that.

It got down to 40 last night, Im pretty sure up in the hills it got colder than that.

 

1000 feet and you can't stop?

 

Assume that hydroplaning starts at 55-mph.

One can argue conditions, truck ground pressure per tire, etc. But it’s much easier to know that getting BELOW 55-mph is the best first step.

Can it happen on side roads at lower speeds? Read something more informative than a trucker forum.

A speed that allows the tires to clear the water is the thing.

The second part is vehicle control. Below 55-mph cancels out wind effects (the aerodynamic wall is 60-mph). Since you are now at 52-mph, getting below 45-mph is another step to fully stopping if the problems don’t subside. Get the momentum of all that mass cut way down.

Drum brakes and worn tires marks the lousy truck. Despite all the chrome, 8” stacks and chicken lights. A 6NZ (great question to ask El Stupido and his $30k rebuild: “What, no steer axle disc?”)

Slack in the steering at center? Same thing. Shocks more than 70k miles on typical aftermarket? Again, same.

Steering & braking are what the driver is there for. Judging conditions.

Ignoring wear will backfire. Bigly. Hydroplaning means the need for precise control

Can’t make time in a truck with worn steering

 

Every skid or slide is not hydroplaning. This sounds more like loss of traction due to slippery road surface with new asphalt and the oils it contains. Especially at the lower speeds as he stated by the time he went through the light. With hydroplaning you have a great risk of loss of control, no ability to steer and good chance of jacknife since the wheels are separated from the road by a laywer of water and no steering or braking input will have any effect. Hydroplaning is also generally related to speed, and not likely to happen at lower speeds although not impossible, highly improbable.

 

Thank you, this is the most accurate statement about it I have read in a long time.

Hydroplaning happens at speeds where the surface of the road is coated with water and the water acts like a barrier for any friction between the tire and the road surface, and it happens more often than not in worn tire. As you mention, you loose all control.

But this happens on just lightly wet surfaces more than pooling water,

 

And if you want to get technical you can experience reverted rubber hydroplaning. A tire with brakes locked up (no ABS or not functioning) will skid, the rubber gets extremely hot and boils the water underneath, the resulting steam lifting the tire off the ground so there is no contact.

This is a real danger in aviation when a plane lands and wheels are not spinning, then the tire goes from zero to 120-140 mph instantly. That chirp you hear when a plane lands is the tire skidding momentarily. Bad time to lose control. This question usually is on the commercial pilot written exam, it is not known much outside of aviation but can happen to any one of us.

 

I have a certain amount of anxiety in heavy aviation even though I had a taste of flying myself enough to know just how bad I am with hammy hands in small cessnas... the big stuff coming in to land in a driving rain storm faces a pavement potentially full of water. I would prefer those tires to get a grip asap and settle on those Oleos quick so we can proceed towards the speed braking that is tied to them.

We had one in little rock come in to Adams field vs a tornado equipped storm front one night a few years ago and the runway as roughly 6600 feet. Think this was a DC 10 or a version of the old 727. He could not get stopped due to that water, overran the fence into the small ravine on the south west end of the airpoint stopping halfway into the river next to a oil pipeline crossing. Some people got roughed up. They did give it a good go landing in full storm conditions but it should have never happened due to the ferocity of the frontal passage at that time that night.

The one time I had trouble with too much water usually in a big truck was down west of Jacksonville Florida during the rainy season, have about 50 miles worth of I-10 westbound with grooves and the steers would go into there at 60+ and float on the water loaded. It needed about 50 before they settled back down But once we got onto better road surface and out of the rain things improved.

Most trucks can make a stop in about 350 on dry feet give or take. Or 6 seconds if you prefer. Anything less than that you are getting into the 500's in water. 1000+ feet is a possibility on ice although I have never had been in a position to test that particular problem out. (Never allow yourself to drive faster than conditions.)

 

I'm having a hard time with these 3 statements.

 

I am too.

Still having a hard time. My big post was a response to all that and then some.

But that's ok. Hopefully he learns to do better.

Im actually picking on the air releasing part. I don't recall hearing much in my day. With or without ABS. Especially with the new trucks then.

 

I'm still puzzled with the 1000 feet, yellow light and being told that he had to run the red light.